Forever
by Sybil Marvin
Summary: After her boyfriend died in a scuba-diving accident gone horribly wrong, Orihime struggle to find the truth behind his mysterious death. AU.
1. Amnesia

**Author's Note :** First of all, I love the IchiHime development in recent manga chapters! Being the fangirl I am, I couldn't help but feel inspired to write another story. :D

This story is based on a Chinese film, titled "Missing". It won't be long. I think it will be around 4-5 chapters at most. So, for those reading the story, hope you guys will enjoy it and… review, please?

**Disclaimer :** I don't own Bleach.

* * *

She woke up to find the white nothingness around her. She squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the blinding light. A vase of fresh red tulips was placed on the bedside table, and an IV drip was attached to her arm. She winced at the sight of the small needle buried under her skin.

_Why am I in a hospital? What happened to me?_

The door squeaked open suddenly, startling the auburn-haired beauty on the bed. A dark-haired woman followed by a fair-haired, younger woman emerged through the door; their eyes wide with shock at first, but then the older of the two dashed forward and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Hime…" she whispered, "thank God you're okay..."

Her body went rigid. She was too stunned to say anything. The woman hugging her must have realized that something was wrong. She released loosened her hug and withdrew slowly.

"Hime?"

"Who… are you?"

"What-"

"And… and… who am I?"

:

:

:

She couldn't remember anything. She had no clue on how she ended up being in the hospital.

She even forgot Tatsuki, but mercifully enough, after a few days of treatment, everything started to come back to her.

She started to remember her own name, her life, and her job. Her name was Inoue Orihime, and she was a psychologist. She even started to remember who the two women visiting her at the hospital were; Arisawa Tatsuki, her best friend, and Kurosaki Yuzu, the younger of the two.

But there were a few things she couldn't remember at all. First, she was supposed to know a man named Kurosaki Ichigo, Karin's brother. She tried as hard as she could, but she had absolutely no memory of that man.

"Do you remember what happened to Ichi-_nii_?" Karin had asked her on that very day at the hospital, but she could only shake her head helplessly.

Tatsuki put a comforting hand on her shoulder, a sign to tell her that it was okay if she doesn't remember. But she saw the hurt and disappointed look on Yuzu's face. She couldn't help but feel guilty.

_Is there something really important I should remember about this Kurosaki Ichigo? Does he have anything to do with me lying here in the hospital?_

She tried asking Tatsuki-chan and Yuzu-chan about that Ichigo person, but they remained tight-lipped about it. As to why they did that, she couldn't think of any reason at all.

The other thing she couldn't remember was the accident that caused her to be hospitalized.

"You were involved in a scuba-diving accident," her doctor explained.

"What happened?" she asked him, but he just shook his head; his eyes portraying a small hint of sympathy for her.

"It's a mystery even to us," he told her and she had to settle with that answer.

She'd started to get frustrated; she tried to ask people around her but none seemed willing to tell her anything about those two things that have been bothering her so much. Still, she tried to keep herself together. She believed that one day, her memories will return, and she won't have to live her whole life surrounded by those mysteries.

Exactly two weeks after she was involved in the scuba-diving accident, she was discharged.

:

:

:

"Will you be okay, staying here all by yourself?" Tatsuki asked.

Orihime looked up at her best friend; concern all over her face. She nodded and forced a weak smile. "I'll be fine. Don't worry, Tatsuki-chan."

Tatsuki stood hesitantly at the door. She'd drove Orihime to her apartment and helped her hauled her large suitcase up. "Are you sure?"

Orihime nodded again, "I'm fine, Tatsuki-chan."

"Okay, then…" Tatsuki said finally. She gave Orihime a long hug before turning away and made her way down the stairs.

Orihime sighed and closed the door. She stared around the apartment; white clothes were draped on the furnitures. It gave away a sense of sadness, of loneliness, and of abandonment. _Exactly how long had she been away?_

Then something caught her eyes; a framed picture on a display cabinet. For some odd reason, it was the only item remaining exposed, as if it was meant for her to see as soon as she arrived. She stepped forward and lifted it up.

She traced her fingers along the cold glass. It was a picture of her and an orange-haired man with the view of the wide, blue ocean behind them. His arms were wrapped lovingly around her slim waist and they were smiling brightly at the camera. She must have been very happy then, and they must have loved each other very much.

She felt something warm fell on her cheek. She touched it, and was shocked to find herself crying. She let herself sank to the floor as she recalled the event happening earlier that day.

"I think it's time for me to tell you the truth," Tatsuki spoke suddenly in the car, startling Orihime.

They'd arrived at Orihime's apartment building. Tatsuki left the engine running as they sat still inside of the car; both unready to leave the company of the other.

Orihime turned around to face her friend, "What do you mean? Truth about what, Tatsuki-chan?"

Tatsuki breathed in deeply. Orihime noticed her tightening grip on the steering wheel.

"That man you kept asking us about… Kurosaki Ichigo…" Tatsuki began slowly. "He was your boyfriend…"

Shocked by the sudden revelation, Orihime grabbed her seatbelt, curling her trembling fingers tightly around it. "My boyfriend? Then… then… why…?"

'_Why he'd never visited me in the hospital?'_ was what she wanted to ask, but she found herself choking on the words. But Tatsuki seemed to understand what she wanted to say.

"Orihime… He was dead…"

Silence enveloped them for five long, agonizing minutes.

"Wh-what happened?" it was Orihime who spoke first, her voice shaking, a swirl of emotions overwhelming her.

Tatsuki explained to her how Ichigo had planned a rendezvous on the tiny island of Mikomoto. Tatsuki told her that he had been excited, no, _elated_. He even took careful preparations for a scuba-diving trip, planning to surprise her and propose to her underwater, surrounded by the colorful corals and the wonderful swarms of fish. Ichigo thought it was the perfect combination; proposing to the woman he loved at a location he loved the most.

So they went diving; Ichigo and Orihime, with Yuzu left on the surface manning the boat. Yuzu, who helped her brother doing all the tedious preparations for the romantic proposal.

But something went horribly wrong.

"While she waited for you guys, Yuzu said she'd received Ichigo's frantic call for help, and Yuzu went down to save the both of you. You were already unconscious, and she helped you to the surface. Ichigo was left behind. Yuzu told me, after she got you back safely on the boat, she dove in immediately, but he was nowhere to be found. She tried to search for him but still, there was no sign of Ichigo. She immediately made an emergency call and drove the boat back to the island. A helicopter came and brought you to the hospital. She stayed to continue searching for him. Then, a few days later, a group of local fishermen found his body, miles away from where he disappeared. It was believed that he was carried away by a strong underwater current." Tatsuki explained.

Beside her, Orihime felt a sudden churning in her stomach, and a sharp, painful thud in her chest.

"You remained unconscious for one week, Orihime. Yuzu and I waited for you at the hospital, hoping you'd know something crucial that could help us shed some light on Ichigo's mysterious death."

"What do you mean?"

Tatsuki sighed. "You see, Ichigo was a professional scuba diver. He'd went diving hundreds of times, and had encountered those type of currents many times before, and never had a problem escaping them. We thought it was impossible for him to die of something like that."

Orihime swallowed hard. _So I'm the only one who probably knows how he died, yet I can't remember a thing about that accident? How cruel life can be…_

Tatsuki turned her gaze away from Orihime, "His family is going to hold a funeral tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow?" Orihime asked, surprised by the fake calmness in her voice. "Why wait for such a long time for a funeral?"

"His family hoped you'd remember something else about the accident, so they could search for one important thing he owned before they bury him."

"What is it?"

Tatsuki hesitated for a moment. Then, without looking at Orihime, she'd said, "It was his head, Hime. The body was decapitated. His family wanted to make sure they bury a perfect corpse, so they prolonged the funeral date. But they couldn't wait any longer. Besides, it's unfair for Ichigo."

At that moment, Orihime threw herself out of the door, vomiting. She felt sick. Her boyfriend, whom she can't seem to remember, was now nothing but a headless corpse. And she'd done nothing, _nothing_ at all, to help him and his family. She thought of how disappointed Yuzu looked on that day, when she told her she'd remember nothing about the accident – and puked again.

Tatsuki had stepped out of the car and was now bending beside her, rubbing her back. Finally, Orihime stood up. Tatsuki offered a box of tissue. Orihime pulled out a bundle and wiped her mouth silently. She went on to take her luggage out of Tatsuki's car without saying a word, and they had remained silent until they walked up to Orihime's apartment.

She had felt sick then, but still couldn't shed a tear on a man she had no memory of. But now, as she collapsed on the floor of her apartment, she couldn't stop her tears from flowing. So she let them be.

And that night, lying crumpled on the cold, hard floor, she'd cried herself to sleep.

:

:

:

:

:

The next day, Orihime woke up and showered. She put on a long white dress and sat down at the dressing table. She stared at her pale face in the mirror and the dark eye bags under her eyes. She reached for the concealer but then decided against it. She was going to a funeral after all, so she just combed her hair and waited for Tatsuki to pick her up.

Fifteen minutes later, Tatsuki called to tell her that she'd arrived. She grabbed her purse and went down. When she reached Tatsuki's car, she smiled and greeted her friend.

"Are you okay?" Tatsuki asked as soon as she got in the car.

Orihime nodded firmly.

"Are you ready?"

"I think so…"

"Cause if you're not, you don't have to go… I'm sure his family would understand."

"No, Tatsuki-chan… I want to see him… for the last time…"

Tatsuki gave her one last lingering look before answering, "Okay…"

:

:

:

A broad, muscular man greeted them when they reached the Kurosaki's residence. Streaks of gray evident in his hair, and the redness in his eyes showed that he'd been crying, but he smiled when he saw them. Still, it was a familiar and welcoming face.

He hugged Tatsuki first. Then he went to Orihime. "I'm so glad you made it, Orihime-chan…" he whispered and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-san…" she said slowly, her fingers curling on the back of his shirt.

He pulled away and stared into her eyes. "You've got nothing to apologize about," he told her sternly. "And you've always called me Isshin-san."

"I-I'm sorry, Isshin-san…"

Isshin opened his mouth to speak again, but a young woman walking toward them interrupted him.

"Orihime-chan!" the woman exclaimed and wrapped her arms around Orihime, her beautiful black hair flowing behind her.

"Karin-chan…"

"I'm so glad to see you here… And I bet Ichi-_nii _would too…"

Orihime bit her lips as she felt relief washed through her. She'd dreaded coming here earlier, afraid that they would hate her and pushed her away. But instead, they welcomed her, as if she got nothing to do with Ichigo's death at all.

"Please, come inside…" Isshin spoke finally, disrupting her thoughts.

Led by Isshin and Karin, Tatsuki and Orihime entered the house.

:

:

:

The strong smell of burning incense was the first thing she noticed when she entered the house. Then, she saw the closed coffin, placed at the corner or the room, surrounded by beautiful flower arrangements. A few people clad in all-white mourning clothing sat by the coffin, crying. Not far from the coffin, a large photo of Ichigo was placed. At the sight of the man in the picture, an overwhelming sense of nostalgia hit her.

Karin grabbed her arm. "It's okay," she said, as if she knew what Orihime was feeling. "Come, sit at the chair. I'm sorry we had to keep the coffin closed. It was quite an unpleasant sight."

Orihime nodded. She gave Karin another brief hug and went to the chairs reserved for guests. She sat down, with Tatsuki following suit beside her. Isshin and Karin went and took their place beside the coffin; a place reserved for only the closest family members.

Orihime watched silently as the ceremony took place. She'd hooked her fingers with Tatsuki's, seeking strength and support, and from time to time, Tatsuki would squeeze her hand, as if assuring her that she was right there beside her.

It was a long and painfully sad ceremony. Ichigo's best friends came and one of his best friends, Yasutora Sado, gave Orihime a light peck on the cheek. "I'm so sorry about what happened to him," he said to her.

"I know…" she replied quietly.

"You were lucky you survived without even a single scratch."

Maybe he meant nothing harmful by that comment, but she couldn't help feeling that stab of pain in her heart. "I know, Chad."

"Just hang on, okay?"

She managed a weak smile at him. Chad proceeded to sit behind Tatuki and her.

Orihime kept her silence throughout the ceremony, right to the moment of cremation. When Ichigo's body was set ablaze, she felt suffocated, and when the last flicker of fire finally died, she felt as if a part of her had died as well. Beside her, Tatsuki was crying helplessly but she couldn't. Just like when she'd first found out Ichigo had died, she couldn't cry at all.

Later, as Isshin and Karin were picking up the remaining bones, placing them carefully inside a beautiful urn, someone barged in through the front door.

"What are you doing?" she shouted angrily at the two.

Orihime stared in disbelief. "Yuzu…" she heard Tatsuki muttered besides her. She glanced at her friend and saw that she mirrored her own shock.

"What are you doing?" Yuzu repeated, her voice louder, _shriller_ this time.

"Yuzu…" Karin whispered. Around them, people started to whisper uneasily.

Isshin stepped forward, hands reaching out for his young daughter. "Yuzu, please calm down…"

"I told you not to hold a funeral until his head was discovered!"

"Yuzu…"

"I said I'd find it! Why can't you wait a little bit longer?"

"Yuzu, we can't wait forever…"

"How can you even be sure that it's _Onii-chan_? He might still be alive somewhere!"

Karin walked up to her twin sister, "Don't be ridiculous. The DNA test had proven that it was Ichi-_nii_…"

"And you guys believed that?" Yuzu shrieked. "Just like that?"

"Yuzu…"

"Even if it's truly him, it's imperfect! How could you let him leave the world like _that_?"

Isshin inched forward and grabbed Yuzu by the shoulders. "Calm down! Stop talking about these nonsense!"

Yuzu slapped away her father's hands. "Nonsense? Is that what you think I've been doing all this time? Nonsense? Don't you even care about finding _Onii-chan_?"

Frustrated, Yuzu dashed forward and started thrashing the place, smashing down Ichigo's picture and tearing away the flowers. Isshin and Karin tried to strain her, but failed, as the hysterical woman seemed to have gained strength all of the sudden. Luckily, Chad came to the rescue. Being a large guy, he scooped the flailing woman up in his arms and dragged her away from the shocked audience.

The room was filled with stunned silence. Isshin bowed to everyone who came and apologized for what happened. Moments later, the ceremony was carried on again despite the weird disturbance. When it finally ended, Tatsuki looked at Orihime and asked.

"Don't you think Yuzu was acting a bit strange? I wonder if there's anything wrong with her…"

:

:

:

:

:


	2. Remembering

**Author's Note :** I'd like to thank everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter. Though I can't personally reply to the reviews, I want you guys to know, I greatly appreciate each and every single one. I was pretty sad about what happened to Japan. I hope everything will turn out well for the people living there.

_Thioridazine_ is an anti-psychotic drug. I'm not a psychiatrist so I don't know if it's the right medication for the case I wrote in this chapter. But I read that it's used for treatment of schizophrenic and psychotic patients.

I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter! =)

**Disclaimer :** I don't own Bleach.

* * *

Life went on normally for her. She repeated the same routine almost every day; went to work, then went back home. When she got home, most of the time she just slept, because it was easier for her to go through the days that way.

But she kept dreaming of the same thing, over and over again. In her dreams, she was underwater. She swam around, looking at the coral reefs beckoning gracefully below her, and a fishes swimming all around her. It was beautiful, it was peaceful down there, and the only sound she could hear was the sound of her steady breathing.

She turned around, and from behind her mask, saw Ichigo approaching a large boulder. She followed him, but by the time she reached the boulder, he'd disappeared from sight. Ahead of her, something caught her eyes; strands of long, white hair flowing in the water. It seemed to be coming from behind a group of large rocks. Curious, she swam forward.

Right at that point, she'd feel an excruciating pain hitting her lungs. She'd wake up; tears welling up in her eyes, her nightgown drenched with sweat.

The dreams had always begun and ended the same way.

Everyone at work had acted kind enough toward her. None of them asked what happened. They just told her they were glad she's okay and that was all. She'd called the Kurosaki's residence a few days after the funeral, and found out from Karin, that Yuzu had set off to Mikomoto island again, continuing her haunt for her brother's missing head.

"It's a good thing Chad is going there to scatter Ichi-_nii_'s ashes. He could keep an eye on Yuzu," Karin had told her through the phone.

She'd offered to be the one to bring Ichigo's ashes to the island, but Isshin refused to let her. "I'm not going to let you suffer any more than you already have," Isshin reasoned, and she had no choice but to comply.

Her memories of Ichigo, thankfully enough, returned to her; fragments by fragments. It was all thanks to Tatsuki who'd invited her to a photo gallery she managed. She'd hesitated at first, thinking she'd rather stay home and sleep than face people at the gallery. But the thought of having another one of her nightmares changed her mind.

At the gallery, as she looked around, enjoying the captivating photographs displayed, she was glad she agreed to come. For the first time, ever since she woke up in the hospital, she was happy. She walked around the room, inspecting every single picture. But when she reached a large photograph hung at a secluded corner of the display room, her steps halted.

It was a photo taken during sunset. In the picture, she could see the silhouette of a young woman, walking by the beach, one hand clutching a hat close to her chest. Her long, luscious locks flowed prettily against the blowing wind. Behind her was the stretch of the wide ocean, its surface reflecting the setting sun.

"Do you remember this photo?" Tatsuki asked from behind her.

She shook her head slowly.

"That's you, Orihime."

:

:

:

"_Did you just take a picture of me without my permission?" Orihime asked, pouting._

_Standing before her, her boyfriend flashed his boyish grin, "I did not."_

"_You're lying."_

_He laughed, and took her hand gently with his. "I'm sorry. You're too beautiful, I just couldn't resist it."_

"_Ichigo-kun!" she blushed, smacking his chest playfully._

_He leaned forward. Then, gently, lovingly, kissed the top of her forehead._

"_I love you, Orihime…"_

:

:

:

"Orihime."

Startled, she opened her eyes. It was Tatsuki standing beside her, not Ichigo. "Tatsuki-chan?"

"You were crying. Are you okay?"

Orihime touched her right cheek. Warm tears had fallen down her cheeks. "Tatsuki-chan, I saw him… I think, I'm starting to remember him…"

"Who? Ichigo?"

Orihime nodded sadly. Sighing, Tatsuki grabbed her arms and led her to the office. Once they were there, she motioned Orihime to sit down at the sofa before disappearing out the door. When she returned, she brought along a glass of cold water. She handed it to Orihime who accepted the glass of water with shaky hands, and sat down opposite her.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah… Thank you, Tatsuki-chan."

"This place was Ichigo's," Tatsuki began. "We didn't keep contacts after we finished high school. Then, one day, out of the blue, he called me and said he wanted to hire me. I laughed. I thought he was joking. But he gave me an address and to told me to come for an interview. I did, and I've worked for him ever since."

"He was good."

Tatsuki nodded in agreement. "I think he's the best photographer in Karakura."

Orihime sighed, "I wish I could remember him just like you do…"

"You will. In time. Do you know, that picture you saw earlier, that was the one he loved the most."

"Why?"

"Because it was a picture of you, Orihime. Of all the things he had in the world, he loved you the most."

:

:

:

When she went to sleep that night, Orihime dreamt of Ichigo again. Only this time, she dreamt of them walking on the beach, fingers latched together tightly.

Whether she remembers him or not, she knew that she loved him with all her heart.

:

:

:

:

:

Orihime tapped her fingers repeatedly on the table. She stared at the phone. _Maybe I can call Karin-chan, meet her so we can talk about things…_

She'd started to remember Ichigo more and more; the places he'd like to eat, the sports he liked to play, the colors he loved. She'd usually go out to the places she remembered he'd always take her to. It helped her regain her memories of him faster. And she even started to remember his scent, his face; the way his eyes crinkled up when he laughed, the way his brows furrowed when he was thinking about something deeply, his sexy frown, and his sharp, angular jaw. She remembered his deep voice and how he'd always made her shiver whenever he said her name, and she remembered the way it felt; being wrapped around by his hard, muscular arms and the way his heart beating against her ear when she rested her head on his broad chest.

She started to regain all her memories, except for the one that mattered the most; her memory of the accident.

She grabbed the handle, and lifted it up to her ear. She reached out her hand to dial the number, but stopped. _The members of the Kurosaki family were very nice and kind to her after all that happened, but wouldn't they keep reminded of the tragedy if they see her often?_

She sighed and put the receiver back to its place. As soon as she did that, the phone rang, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Hello?"

"Orihime-san," her boss's voice spoke from the other end. "Can you come to my office right away, please?"

"Yes, sir."

:

:

:

"I hope it's not too soon for me to give you a case."

"No, it's fine."

The man sitting in front of her searched through the jumble of folders scattered on top of his work desk. He managed to find the one he was looking for, grabbed it, and handed it to Orihime. She accepted it and began to flip through the folder.

"Hmm… Ishida Uryuu, age 26, an university graduate, currently works in the Karakura Bank…" Orihime mumbled, reading the patient's profile.

"This patient had attended three sessions with me, but I would like you to take over," her boss said. "His case is pretty much similar to yours."

Orihime looked up, "What do you mean?"

"This man lost someone recently. His girlfriend died in a car accident. The vehicle burned with her locked inside."

"I see…"

"I thought that maybe while working with him, it could help you with your own healing process," he explained, smiling emphatically at her.

Her boss was a handsome man in his mid-thirties. His shoulder-length black hair tied neatly and was always dressed in black, expensive designer suits. He was the son of a wealthy businessman, and should have been the one to inherit his father's wealth, but he decided to become a psychologist instead. Orihime'd asked him once; the reason he'd made that decision, and he told her it was because he wanted to help people when they feel like no one in the world understand them.

His name was Kuchiki Byakuya.

"I've performed hypnosis on him in the last session. I started prescribing _Thioridazine_ for him because he reported he'd been experiencing psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. He's also suffering from insomnia."

Orihime stood up. "I'll take the case, Kuchiki-san."

Byakuya nodded, "If you have any questions regarding the case, just come and see me."

"I will."

"And, Orihime-san, if you need someone to talk, you know I'm always ready to help."

"Thank you, Kuchiki-san."

:

:

:

:

:

"So, Ishida-san, how are you feeling today?"

"Okay, I guess. Haven't been able to sleep lately though."

Ishida Uryuu was lying in a couch in Orihime's office. Today was their first session and Orihime was quite shocked at first to see he'd lost much weight, compared to his picture in the folder Byakuya had given her. Ishida acted nervous all the time and would frequently pushed up his glasses up his nose with slightly trembling hands.

Across from him, Orihime was sitting cross-legged on her chair, with her notepad and pen ready.

"Mind telling me what troubles you so much?"

On the couch, Ishida shrugged, "I guess it's hard for me to sleep at night knowing she'll definitely hover above me in the dark."

"She?"

"Nemu. My dead girlfriend."

Orihime started scrribling on her notepad. "How often has she visited you?"

"She came to my apartment once, two days after her death. But ever since Dr. Kuchiki hypnotized me, I see her more frequently." He sat up in his couch, "Doc, do you think it's possible that his treatment caused me these hallucinations?"

Orihime looked at him, "I'm afraid that sometimes, some anti-psychotic drugs do aggravate psychotic symptoms. As for hypnotism causing hallucinations in patients, a few cases were reported but with no firm basis at all, the idea was dismissed."

Seemed to be satisfied with her answer, Ishida lied back on the couch; his head resting on his crossed arms.

"Do you mind telling me, how does she look?"

"Horrible. Ugly. She was badly burned, you know." Then, he sat up again. Orihime noticed his lips were quivering. "Doc, can I have a glass of water? All this talking is making me thirsty."

Orihime got up, walked toward the water dispenser and filled a paper cup with water. She gave it to Ishida who drank it all in one gulp.

"Shall we continue, Ishida-san?"

Ishida nodded and placed the cup on a small table beside the couch. He lied down again.

"She was a beautiful woman, Doc."

"I'm sure she was…"

"Do you know, that we had a huge fight, right before the accident?"

"No, I don't. Tell me more."

"We had dinner at my apartment that night. I told her I want her to move in with me. She refused. She said she wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. I don't know why, but I got mad. Maybe it was because I've asked her the same question and got the same damn answer, over and over again. She stormed out angrily. I still remembered the screeching sound her car made as she drove away. An hour later, I received a call from the police."

"Do you think that's why she came to see you? Because she had an unfinished business with you?"

"At first I thought so. But I learned to communicate to her. And she told me, that on their side of the world, there was nothing but darkness and loneliness. The people they left behind, the people they loved, represent a light to them, so they can't help but get drawn to those lights."

Orihime jotted down a few notes.

"I've seen him too, you know."

"Who?"

"Your dead boyfriend, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Orihime's pen stopped moving. She looked across at her patient, "What?"

"I saw him outside, while I was waiting for my session to start. He came to me."

"H-how does he look?"

Ishida shrugged, "Better than Nemu, I guess. He's headless so I can't see his face. His clothes was dripping wet. He wanted me to say something to you."

Orihime swallowed hard, "What is it?"

"He said, it's okay if you don't remember. It doesn't matter to him. All he wants is for you to continue living happily."

Too stunned to say anything, Orihime could only gape at Ishida.

"Ah, it seemed I've been in here for over an hour. I'll come again next week, Doc," Ishida's words broke the silence. He got up and walked toward the door, his shoulders slightly sagging.

Then, he stopped and turned around at Orihime. "Remember to always leave the light on, Doc."

:

:

:

She got home late that night. She spent hours on the computer searching on the subject of hallucinations, before finally going home.

Remembering Ishida's words to her earlier, she flipped on the light in every room in her apartment.

Then, she removed her coat and hung it neatly on the coat hanger. She noticed the blinking light on her answering machine. She received three calls while she was away. She pressed the 'PLAY' button and walked to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of vodka. She wasn't a drinker but after what happened earlier that day, she badly needed the alcohol to calm herself down.

The first call was Tatsuki's, asking whether she'd like to have dinner together tomorrow. The second one was Karin's, asking how she'd been. But when the third message was being played, she heard nothing but static. She was walking toward the phone when she heard the voice.

"…_Orihime_…"

Her glass dropped to the floor with a loud shatter. She would know that voice anywhere; she'd heard it over and over again in her dreams.

It was Ichigo's.


	3. Believing

**Author's Note :** Here's another chapter! I'm surprised by how fast I write this story! If I keep going at this rate, I'll probably finish the story next week. :D

Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed this story. I'm glad you guys like the story and that it spooked you, haha. I was worried that it'd only manage to spook me.

Hope you guys will keep reading and reviewing. I'm so sleepy right now, so I haven't double-check anything, so I'm sorry if there are a few mistakes here and there.

Have a nice day! :)

**Disclaimer :** I don't own Bleach.

* * *

"I'm pretty sure you're just hearing things."

"No, Tatsuki-chan. It was his voice. I heard it, loud and clear."

"Then, let me hear it too."

Orihime poked her scrambled eggs half-heartedly. She was having a breakfast with Tatsuki, and she was just telling her about the voice she heard on the phone last night.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"It's gone. The message is no longer there. I keep replaying it, but it's just not there anymore."

Tatsuki groaned, "Well, maybe it was never there in the first place. Like I said, you're probably just hearing things."

Orihime shook her head stubbornly. She knew what she heard, and she was very sure it was Ichigo's voice.

"Do you think he's mad at me? Maybe I caused his death or something? Maybe he's mad that I can't remember a thing about the accident?"

"Don't be ridiculous. His death was purely an accident. And I'm pretty sure he's not mad at you. I mean, your patient said he saw him and delivered a message that indicates he's not mad at you."

"You're right… But he _is_ a patient… I'm not sure his words are one hundred percent reliable."

Tatsuki merely shrugged.

"I've been doing some reading last night, Tatsuki-chan. There are beliefs that in cases where people died of horrible, sudden deaths, if they leave something behind in the real world, their spirits won't be able to rest."

"And you're suggesting that-"

"Yes! I think Ichigo-kun's unable to cross over because his head's still missing! We must find the head so his spirit can rest peacefully."

"You know, you're starting to sound an awful lot like Yuzu," Tatsuki commented, but Orihime paid her no heed.

"I must first remember what happened during the accident if I want to help."

"Don't you think that message you received meant he didn't want you to remember, and he didn't even want you to try at all? There's a reason to why he left the message. But now you're saying you're going to do the absolute opposite?"

Orihime looked at her best friend, "Yes, Tatsuki-chan. I'm going to do it. Even if I have to go against Ichigo-kun's will, I'll do it. I'm afraid that's the only way I can continue living without regrets."

"Whatever. Don't say I didn't warn you," Tatsuki said, sipping her coffee calmly.

:

:

:

"Are you sure you want to do it?"

Orihime nodded slowly. She was in Byakuya's office, lying on the couch. She'd asked him to perform hypnosis on her.

"You are aware that I'll have to record the session for professional purposes."

Orihime nodded again.

"Okay…" Byakuya agreed. "Now I want you to close your eyes and relax…"

Orihime did as she was instructed.

"Take a deep breath, and exhale… You can feel yourself getting more and more relaxed…"

On the couch, Orihime inhaled and exhaled. She was starting to get drowsy.

"While you were sleeping, you'll keep concentrating on my voice… Keep breathing…"

Byakuya kept his eyes focused on Orihime, breathing along with her. "Now, when I count to three, you'll fall into a deep sleep…"

He paused for a few minutes. Silence filled the room.

"1… 2… 3…"

Darkness overcame her as she drifted to sleep.

:

:

:

When she woke up about three hours later, the sun was already setting, casting its orange-reddish light inside the room. She lifted her hand; her watch stated that it was already six in the evening. She tried to get up, and felt a sharp pain shot through her head.

_What happened?_

With one hand supporting her weight, while the other massaging her hurt head, she tried to look around. The office was in a huge mess; broken furnitures everywhere and papers scattered all over the floor.

_What happened here?_

Then, she spotted him. He'd fallen unconscious a few meters away from her. A small spot of blood was invisible on her forehead. She ran toward him, ignoring the steadily thudding pain in her head.

When she reached his side, she reached out a shaky finger and held it for a few seconds under his nose. Satisfied that he was still breathing, she withdrew her finger and proceeded to shake his shoulders gently.

"Kuchiki-san," she called out to him.

Her boss remained still. She shook harder, "Kuchiki-san. Please, wake up!"

Then slowly, she saw his eyelids moving. He opened his eyes and blinked confusedly at her, "Orihime-san, what happened?"

:

:

:

Later, as she sat by his bed in the hospital, they watched the tape recorded during the session.

The session seemed to begin normally. She was relating the event of the day as she, Ichigo and Yuzu prepared for their trip to Mikomoto island. Byakuya was listening to her intently, and occasionally nodded at a few things she said.

She was in the middle of telling him the things she saw while she was underwater, when she suddenly got up; her eyes still closed indicating that she was still under hypnotism – and started thrashing the room. From the recorded video, they saw how she chased Byakuya around the room, causing him to trip over the camera tripod and hit his head at the edge of his desk. She looked like she was intent on hurting him.

When the tape ended, they sat in stunned silence.

"What happened?" Orihime asked slowly, breaking the eerie silence surrounding them.

"It seemed that you got violence while you were under hypnotism."

"B-but that's impossible! You know me well enough to know that I'm incapable of such violence!"

Byakuya sighed heavily, "I don't know how to say this, but, there are some cases where hypnotism brought forth symptoms of dual personality."

"A-are you saying that I'm suffering from a dual personality disorder?"

"As of now, it's merely speculation on my side, Orihime-san."

Orihime lowered her gaze. She was too shock to comment further.

"Don't worry about it. I might be wrong, maybe there's more to what happened than anything we can think of. We'll do some tests in the future to determine the real cause. Get some rest tonight, okay?" Byakuya told her, sensing her distress.

:

:

:

:

:

"So, Ishida-san, has anything change since your last visit here? Do you see Nemu less or more frequently now?"

As if he hadn't heard her, Ishida kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling. _Maybe something's up there in the ceiling; crawling_ – a sudden thought crossed Orihime's mind, followed by a terrible urge to look up at the direction he was staring at. Orihime shook her head, trying to diminish the thought away. _I'm the doctor here, I should at least be able to maintain my sanity_.

"She just comes whenever she likes. But lately, she'd often get mad if I ignore her presence."

"Do you have an idea as to why she would be like that?"

"Well, the more frequent dead people visit the world of the living, the harder it is for them to differentiate the line between our world and theirs. So, they'll continue to act as if they're still alive." A burst of laughter came from him, resonating through the room, "Nemu used to hate it if I don't pay her enough attention."

"Ishida-san."

For the first time since their session started, he looked at her. There were dark circles forming around his eyes, and Orihime noticed that he hadn't shaved properly.

"Don't you think this has to stop?"

He stared at her blankly.

"You are not seeing your dead girlfriend. You are too shaken by her sudden death. To make things worse, you had a huge fight with her before her death, and you didn't have the chance to apologize to her. That's why your brain keeps forming these false thoughts that you're still seeing her after all this time. It is some sort of defense mechanism to make yourself feel better."

He looked like he was about to cry. "No! You're lying!"

"I'm not lying to you, Ishida-san…"

"But I do see her. When I'm alone at home, she'll come and stay with me through the night. When I sit on the couch, she'd be there next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. And when I'm having my dinner, she would sit with me and watch me eat." Then, with a disgusted face, he added, "Though it's hard for me to keep the food down after seeing her badly charred face up close."

"Ishida-san, trust me. Your girlfriend is dead. She no longer exists in this world. What you're seeing are hallucinations, fake images your mind developed to protect you from the harsh truth."

"No! Doc, I see her! I do!"

Orihime sighed, "Then, you have to prove to me that she does exist."

"I don't know…" Ishida hesitated.

"Let's make a deal then. If you manage to make her come out for me, I'll tell her to stop disturbing you."

Ishida smiled, "Deal."

:

:

:

That evening, Ishida waited until Orihime finished work and then left together for his apartment. He lived on the fourth floor, and in order to get there, they had to ride an old elevator. It was quite a long ride for Orihime, as she worried over every squeaking the rusty machinery made as it moved upward.

When they arrived at his apartment, he scrambled for his keys. Once he opened the door, he motioned for Orihime to get in first. Orihime stepped in cautiously, followed by Ishida who closed the door behind him.

"Is she here?" Orihime asked, looking around the apartment.

"No. You have to prepare for their arrival, make them feel invited."

Ishida disappeared into the bedroom, and showed up with an armful of towels. He then proceeded to cover the various furnitures inside the room.

"Why'd you do that?"

"They hate seeing their own reflection. If we don't keep anything that can reflect images, they won't come out."

He lighted up a candle, and switched off the light. There was nothing else illuminating the room except the sickly glow coming from the candle.

"They prefer the dark. It also makes us shine brighter to them, thus easier for them to find their way toward us."

Orihime nodded silently.

"The last thing you need to do, Doc, is take out something they loved the most when they're still alive, and keep it close to you. That way, they'll know you miss them, making they come out faster."

"I-is she here?"

Ishida hushed her. Her hands tightened involuntarily around her purse.

Then, the door opened with a loud squeak. Startled, Orihime almost screamed. Ishida rushed toward the door, and closed it again.

"Is that her?" Orihime asked again, trying hard to hide the trembling in her voice.

"I-I think the latch is broken or something. The door always open and close on its own," Ishida told her sheepishly.

Orihime breathed a sigh of relief. She had been the one to tell him that the dead girlfriend he kept seeing was nothing but mere hallucination, so why, _why am I shaking right now?_

And then she felt it, a sense of presence inside the room. It started with a sudden drop of the temperature. She started feeling a bit colder, as if the night breeze was blowing in through a wide, open window. Then, it was followed by goosebumps; first, she felt the hair on her arm stood, and then, the ones behind her neck seemed to react the same way.

"S-she's here now, isn't she?"

Ishida nodded silently, keeping his eyes lowered.

Orihime swallowed thickly. "Where is she, Ishida-san?"

"She's standing right next to you… Have I told you that she's very tall?"

She fought the urge to just scream and run away, to forget the treatment, forget Ishida and his dead girlfriend. "Nemu-san…"

Before her, Ishida started fidgeting nervously.

"Nemu-san," she called out again, but Ishida lifted his index finger to his lips, indicating her to stop saying anything.

"She's mad…" he whispered.

"But, why?"

But Ishida had already turned his focus on someone else; someone impossible for her to see.

"Don't misunderstand! She's my doctor! She came here to talk to you."

Orihime stood gaping at Ishida, as he fought someone, or _something_ invisible.

Then, "Look out!" Ishida screamed suddenly.

Somehow, she was unable to move. She felt a strong, cold breeze hitting her face. As if she was under a deep trance, her feet remain glued to the floor. Before she had the time to react, Ishida had jumped in front of her, blocking her body from any sorts of invisible attacks directed toward her.

The brave man, however, fell down with a heavy town. He was grabbing his throat, and his body was convulsing violently.

She crawled toward him, "Ishida-san…"

But Ishida's body kept jerking involuntarily. White foam was forming at the corner of his mouth. Orihime watched in horror as her mind worked on overdrive, trying to find a way to help him.

"Ishida-san…" Orihime called out again, trying hard to still his convulsing body with her trembling hands. "Stop hurting him, you hear me? If you really love him, you'll stop hurting him!" she screamed desperately into the silence.

Then, she remembered something.

She made a dash toward her handbag, lying on the floor. She rummaged through the content, and took out a syringe she'd filled with a tranquilizer drug. She made her way toward Ishida, and stabbed the needle on his right arm. Holding his constantly moving arm, she injected the drug.

The effect was instant. She watched as the convulsions lessen gradually, until finally, it stopped completely. Orihime sighed in relief.

When he recovered, Ishida sat up. "I'm sorry I scared you, Doc."

"It's okay… But, what happened?"

"She tried to harm you. But I managed to stop her, and she went through my body instead of yours. And that what happens when a ghost, or a spirit went through your body."

"Oh…"

"So, do you believe in ghosts now, Doc?"

:

:

:

Orihime hurried to the lift. She'd want nothing more than to leave Ishida's apartment as she could. All his talks about ghosts and dead people were putting some crazy thoughts into her head.

She pressed the 'DOWN' button and the door opened with a loud bang. There was a tall, hooded figure standing at the corner of the small box. She hesitated at first, but she didn't want to appear rude to the stranger inside the lift, so she went in.

The lift immediately began its slow descent. She cringed at every creaking sound it made.

For some odd reason, the hair on the back of her neck was still rising. She fought an urge to touch it, afraid that it would seem weird. Behind her, the stranger made absolutely no sound. She could barely tell if that person's even breathing.

When the lift reached its destination, as she waited for the door to open, she glanced behind her back.

There was no one behind her.

:

:

:

She flicked on the light switch as soon as she walked into her apartment. She couldn't wait to get under the cover, but after such an eventful day, she doubted that she'd get much sleep.

She stripped off her clothing. She needed a relaxing bath. While she was unclasping her bra, the phone rang.

Orihime let out a squeal, startled by the loud ringing.

She swallowed thickly, remembering the mysterious message she'd heard yesterday. But, despite that, she picked up the phone, albeit reluctantly.

"H-Hello?"

"Inoue? Is that you?"

"Ch~," she paused, _Chad was Ichigo's pet name for Sado, not hers_. "Sado-kun?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay? You sound like you've just seen a ghost," Chad laughed.

"You have no idea," she said calmly. "Why'd you call? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"It's nothing important. I just want to let you know that Yuzu and I had scattered Ichigo's ashes into the ocean. And Yuzu still haven't given up her hope to find Ichigo's, errr… head."

"I see…"

"We're going to return home in a few days. I don't know if Yuzu will find what she's searching for, but it would be better if she does."

"Yes, it would. Thank you, Sado-kun…"

:

:

:

:

:

"_Tell me, what made you fell in love with me?" she asked, beaming at her scowling boyfriend._

"_What kind of a question is that?"_

"_Tell me…"_

"_Do I have to?"_

_She nodded eagerly._

_Ichigo moved his face closer to hers, "What do I get if I answer correctly?"_

_Orihime felt her face burned. Ichigo laughed when he saw his red-faced girlfriend._

"_Well, to tell the truth, it's because I think Kurosaki Orihime sounded pretty nice," he said, aware that at that point his face might be as red as hers, maybe even redder._

"_Ichigo-kun!"_

:

:

:

:

:


	4. Decision

**Author's Note :** Hello, Dear Readers! I'm back with another update! Sorry because it's not as fast as the previous ones, I'm pretty busy this week. Will be busier for weeks to come, but I'll try to update the story as fast as I possibly could. We have two more chapters to go. Unlike the other chapters, I'm not very confident with this one, because there was one particular scene that's hard for me to write. But I've spooked myself again while writing this, LOL, so I hope it would do the same to you guys too! :D

And keep reviewing please! I really love hearing from you guys! :)

p/s: To everyone who reviewed the last chapter; **himelove22**, **nypsy**, **Wau**, **AbaraiArekushisu**, **latenightstories**, **makary**, **MeggzieofHyrule**, **WeAreMadland**, and **Somerlia** – thank you very, very much. I really appreciate it. Wish I could thank each and every one of you personally, but I really don't have the time.

**Disclaimer :** I don't own Bleach.

* * *

"_Ishida-san, I need your help."_

"_What is it, Doc?"_

"_I want to see my dead boyfriend. Tell me, how do I find him?"_

:

:

:

:

:

Everything was just too confusing for her; the truth about Ichigo's death, her violent outburst during the hypnosis session, the incident at Ishida's apartment, and seeing people when there was actually no one around her – it was all too strange.

To make things worse, she missed Ichigo. _Badly_.

Chad had returned to Karakura yesterday. Alone. When she asked where Yuzu was, Chad told her that she had to stay back for a few days, believing that she was about to discover what she had been searching for all along.

Sometimes, she was envious of Yuzu. She wished she could be more like Ichigo's little sister. Yuzu had been very determined in finding the truth, while she hid from it, scared that the truth would be hurtful to know. Some sort of defense mechanism, that's what it's called; she'd learned that in university.

But she had decided that she wouldn't run away anymore. No matter how scary the truth might be, she had to find out.

And the only way she can do that was to ask Ichigo himself. Yes, after what happened at Ishida's apartment, she'd started to believe that there is a way for the living to communicate with the dead, and she's going to ask for Ishida's help for that.

:

:

:

"A-are you serious?" the spectacled man stared at his doctor in utter disbelief. He was pretty sure he'd heard something wrong.

"I want to see him. I want to see Ichigo-kun. I need to ask him about something."

"You want to find out what caused his death, do you?"

Orihime nodded.

"You do realize that there's a reason to why he wanted me to deliver _that_ message for you…"

"I know… But the more I think about it, the more I realize that it's very unfair for his family to be left wondering about what truly happened to him."

"That's true…"

"And I want him to be able to rest peacefully, Ishida-san…" She looked up at him and pleaded, "Please, won't you help me?"

Ishida sighed. Orihime had told him everything; the mysterious call from Ichigo and their meeting inside the elevator, along with his own meeting with Ichigo outside the clinic were indicators that Ichigo's spirit was restless. "Fine, I'll help you."

:

:

:

"First, you have to make sure that everything in your house; mirrors, glass surface, anything that can reflect images – is covered. The dead hate to see how they look," Ishida told her through the phone.

Orihime remembered how Ishida described Nemu's ghost and shivered, "Okay…"

Holding the phone with her shoulder, she hurried to her bedroom and grabbed a few white sheets. She then made sure she covered everything according to Ishida's instructions.

"I'm done. What's next?"

"Light some candles to help illuminate the room a bit. Then, turn off the light."

She grabbed three small candles from the kitchen drawer and placed them carefully on the coffee table. With shaky hands, she lighted them up before switching off the living room's light; making her surrounding almost completely dark.

"I've switched off the light, Ishida-san."

"Okay. The next thing you'll have to do is get something that's very precious to your dead boyfriend when he's still alive. It's even better if that item represents the bond between the two of you."

_What is it? What's precious to Ichigo, and to her as well? _She began to ponder inside her head. _What is it?_

_Oh, God. What is it? Think Orihime, think!_

:

:

:

:

:

"_What is that, Ichigo-kun?" she pointed at a round, badly corroded metal, yet oddly, was framed beautifully and placed, no – _paraded_, on his display cabinet as if it was worth a lot._

"_What?" Ichigo's voice echoed through the kitchen._

"_That framed metal-thingy on your cabinet, what is it?"_

_Ichigo appeared with two cups of steaming tea in his hands. He set them on the coffee table and walked up to his girlfriend. _

"_Oh, that," he muttered when he saw what Orihime was talking about._

"_It's an old coin I picked up when I went scuba diving to the Bermuda."_

"_Really? What's so special about it?"_

"_Actually, it's from the famous wreck of L'Herminie, and it's _gold_ coin..."_

"_Gold? But… I think it looks a bit ugly…"_

_Ichigo chuckled, "Well, it's been underwater for nearly two hundred years… However, despite its not-so-gorgeous outer appearance, it's actually very valuable. Kinda like me, I guess..."_

"_That's not true, Ichigo-kun! Nobody says you're not gorgeous."_

_Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "But nobody says I _am_…" he teased._

_Orihime lowered her gaze. "I-I think you're h-handsome," she stammered, blushing madly._

_Ichigo laughed; her being shy was just too adorable. Then, as his laughter faded, he wrapped his strong arms around her, hugging her close to his body. He sighed as he breathed in her calming scent, and kissed the top of her head lovingly. Orihime buried her face deeper against his chest; listening to the fast, steady beating of his heart. They remained still for a few minutes, enjoying each other's warmth. _

_Then, Ichigo spoke in his deep, sexy voice. "Thank you, Orihime…"_

_Orihime lifted her head to stare into his amber gaze, "Hm? What for?"_

"_For loving me…" Ichigo answered, smiling down at her. She blushed again, but smiled back at him sweetly._

"_Thank you, Orihime, for making me the luckiest and the happiest man in the world."_

:

:

:

:

:

_That old coin._

_Now I remember._

_He'd somehow managed to get someone to polish the coin and made it into a beautiful pendant. The pendant he'd gave to her as his very first present._

"_It was so valuable to you, so why are you giving it to me?" she'd asked when she'd opened the little box, revealing a beautiful necklace with a pendant that looked too familiar to her._

_He'd simply smirked at her and said, "Because you are far more valuable to me."_

Orihime dashed into her bedroom. She rummaged through her drawer, pushing aside the thick layers of underwear until she discovered the box where she kept her jewelry.

She grabbed the very thing she was looking for. "I've got it," she spoke into the phone. "What do I do next?"

"Now you have to wait. He'll come to you when he's ready to show himself…"

"O-okay…"

:

:

:

So, she waited…

In the darkness of the room, with the steady tapping sound of water dripping from her tap in the kitchen being the only sound she could hear, she waited. _Should have fixed that tap_, she thought as she listened to the increasingly annoying sound. And she'd never felt so alone before, and she was filled with a mixture of feelings; excitement, fear, and love…

She waited with the phone gripped tightly inside her trembling hands. Ishida insisted to stay on the line. He was really a nice guy and he was worried about her. She'd breached their relationship barrier as therapist and client, she realized, by asking him to help her like this and treating him more like a trusted friend than a patient. But right at that moment, she didn't care at all. She needed to see Ichigo and she would do whatever it takes.

The pendant Ichigo made especially for her felt cold against her skin. She twirled it with her fingers, thinking of how happy they'd been then. He was the most important thing in the world for her, and she was his.

She closed her eyes, reminiscing the feeling, but suddenly, a rustling sound coming from behind her made her jumped with shock. Despite the closed windows, she could feel cold air blowing against her neck, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.

She turned her head toward the direction of the sound. "Ichigo-kun?" she called out.

She heard another rustle, louder this time. "Ichigo-kun, is that you?" she asked again as she stood up hesitantly.

She stepped forward, intending to walk toward the direction of the sound, but what she saw coming at her made her stay rooted to the floor, petrified.

A crumpled white figure moved on the floor, crawling forward, approaching her. Long, black hair spilled around it. And when it lifted its head to look at her, she almost fainted. It was horribly disfigured, and blood was dripping from its mangled face, leaving red traces on her apartment floor. It opened its mouth, as if it wanted to speak to her, but nothing came out except for low, gurgling noise.

Orihime stepped backward hastily, but she tripped, falling backward onto the sofa. When she tried to get up, she found herself staring into a pair of coal black, cold eyes, belonging to a child crouching at the corner of the room; his skin pale-white and he looked very angry.

The candles flickered in the wind and went out. Instantly, the pitch-black room was filled with inhuman noises; laughing and screeching, and she swore she could hear the sound of scratching on her door and on her wall.

Horrifying thoughts popped inside her head._ How many of them are inside my home right now? Are any of them standing right next to me?_

Orihime brought her hands to her ears, trying to desperately block the nasty thoughts, and the noises. Instead, they grew louder

Orihime started to panic.

She screamed.

:

:

:

She needed to escape. She ran to the door, and swung it open to a very startled man. She let out another scream.

"Whoa, calm down," he said. "What happened, Doc?"

Orihime drew her breath, trying to calm herself before she spoke. "Ishida-san? What are you doing here?"

Ishida said nothing to her, but stepped forward and switched on the light. He then lifted the sheets she used to cover her furniture. Orihime plopped down on the sofa and watched as he moved around the room and uncovered everything.

_Right at this moment, he's acting like my doctor instead of my patient_, she thought, oddly amused.

After he's done removing the sheets, Ishida sat down slowly beside her. "Are you feeling better now?"

Orihime nodded weakly.

Ishida smiled understandingly, "The first contact with the dead can be scary, I know that."

"But it's not the first time I see-"

Orihime sat up straight. Something just flashed inside her mind. "Why are you here, Ishida-san?"

Ishida pointed to Orihime's phone; lying abandoned on the floor. "Your call's still connected, have you forgotten that? I got worried when you were being too quiet for too long, and you didn't even respond when I called your name, so I decided to come here to check on you. And then, you started saying your boyfriend's name, then you were screaming and…"

Orihime stared at Ishida. It seemed that her usually reliable mind was playing tricks on her again. _How could she have not heard Ishida calling her name?_

_But that's not important_, she shook her head. "How did you know where to find me? How did you know where I live?"

"He told me."

"Who?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

She felt as if a sharp arrow just went through her body. "What? Did you see him? Where is he now? Is he here?"

Ishida shook his head slowly, "No… I'm sorry, Doc…"

Orihime stared at the floor, sadness sweeping through her. "Why didn't he come to see me? I did all that just to see him again, but he didn't come. Instead, all those scary things, in my apartment…"

She stopped. Tears were streaming down her face. _She missed him badly; he must've known that, so why hadn't he come to her instead of Ishida?_

Ishida placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Please don't cry…"

"Why'd he do this to me, Ishida-san?"

"I'm sure he must have a good reason to do so, Doc… Maybe he's afraid he'd scare you if he shows up, or maybe it hurt him too much if he sees you, I don't know. But I do know that he cares a lot about you, or he wouldn't have helped me get here faster."

Orihime sighed heavily, "I guess so… But, still-"

"Just don't worry too much about it, okay? I believe that he'll show up and communicate with you when he's ready…"

Orihime wiped off her tears. Ishida was right, and she couldn't be too selfish. There had to be reasons as to why Ichigo was avoiding her. "Okay…"

Ishida glanced around the room, hesitating a bit before he spoke, "Actually, Doc, there is something I need to tell you…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"I can't say it here… It's too dangerous…"

:

:

:

The next day, she kept thinking about Ishida's words. She thought about it too much that she'd forgotten about her scary experience that night. It seemed pretty important, and Ishida had looked very serious when he said it. She couldn't wait for their next meeting so she can ask him what he wanted to tell her.

_Or… maybe I just can give him a call and ask about it… It would seriously breach the professional relationship between us_, she reasoned. _But it's already breached anyway, so what?_

After a few moments of battling her decision, she reached up for her phone to call Ishida, but the phone rang before she had the chance. Startled, she gasped. "Why does this always happen to me?" she muttered under her breath.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Orihime-chan. It's Yuzu. Can you come to my apartment today, after you're done with work?"

"Yuzu-chan? I'm so glad to hear from you! When did you arrive? I heard from Sado-kun that-"

"Can you come?" Yuzu cut her off. "I have something to show you."

"Oh… Okay…"

"Good," Yuzu said and hung up, leaving a stunned Orihime staring blankly at her phone.

_What was _that_?_

:

:

:

"Hi, Yuzu-chan? How are you?" Orihime asked, hugging the younger woman as soon as she stepped into the house.

"I'm fine."

Orihime released her hold slowly, noticing how rigid Yuzu's body went the moment she hugged her. She searched the other woman's face, but it showed absolutely no emotion.

"I'm really glad to see you…" Orihime said, repeating her words earlier.

There was still no change in Yuzu's expression. "Thank you," she said coldly, motioning Orihime to sit on the sofa.

They sat in awkward silent for two long, agonizing minutes. Orihime fidgeted with the hem of her dress nervously. She could feel Yuzu's eyes scrutinizing her.

She glanced around. The house seemed empty. "Where's Kurosaki-kan, and Karin-chan?"

"They went away on a vacation."

Orihime eyed Yuzu suspiciously, "But, that's weird, Karin-chan never told me she's planning to go on a vacation…"

"Why would she tell you anything? You're not even family."

Orihime shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Err… what is it that you wanted to show me, Yuzu-chan?"

Yuzu kept her sharp gaze at Orihime, and for the first time, Orihime noticed the dark circles forming around her eyes. Her heart sank, knowing too well what caused it. And there was something deeply disturbing about her stare. _The eyes are the windows to one's soul_ – the saying goes, but Yuzu's seemed totally empty, as if her body's soulless. And she looked thin, _way too thin_…

"I've found him," Yuzu replied. Her deep voice sent shivers running down Orihime's spine.

"W-what?"

"I've found Ichigo _Onii_-chan."

:

:

:

:

:


End file.
